Trump Wants Court to Force Twitter to Reinstate His Account

Former president Donald Trump is turning to the court system in a long-shot bid to regain access to his Twitter account.

Trump was banned from Twitter two days after the January 6 insurrection, with the social media platform citing “the risk of further incitement of violence.” According to The Washington Post Trump is asking for preliminary injunction that would restore his access while a broader lawsuit continues to play out.

“Plaintiff Donald J. Trump respectfully moves for a preliminary injunction directing, inter alia, Defendant Twitter, Inc. and all persons acting in concert with Defendant, to reinstate Plaintiff’s access to Defendant’s social media platform(s),” read the filing.

Trump’s efforts are a long shot, since the First Amendment applies to protecting individuals from government censorship. There is no provision in the First Amendment protecting individuals from censorship at the hands of other individuals or corporations. Therefore, there’s little legal precedent for forcing Twitter to reinstate Trump’s account.